ashok_n's Timeline

Commented on Laser's review

PURAVANKARA : Another name for thugs
Puravankara Builders - Bangalore

Well written review. I am sure Purva Riviera will LOOK like as it was promised, but with these big builders the problem always lie inside the flat. Who will ever fix the drains, and plumbing, and electrical glitches ?? I can only wish you Good Luck for those.

Reviewed Next - Michael Crichton

Too many characters spoil a book

When I came to know of a forthcoming book by MC and that too about the new revolutionary technology of Genetics and Biotech, I was salivating. But in NEXT, unfortunately, MC disappoints big time. In his earlier book "The State of Fear", MC had debunked the whole theory of Global Warming pretty c...Read more

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Reviewed Afghan, The - Frederick Forsyth

Forsyth fans - Avoid ; First time readers - Rea

!!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!!!!!!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!!!!!!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!!!!I read Forsyth's "The Devil's Alternative" recently and reflected how the master of spy stories has fallen.Of course, one can't expect a "The Day of the Jackal" or a  "The Devil's alternative" in every Forsyth book. Fo...Read more

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Commented on prshrivastava's review

ULIP are a no-no
HDFC Life Insurance

I bought a Pension plan from Birla SunLife two years back and now I am ruing my decision. I was not aware of all these charges (and the agent did not inform me anything). I just went ahead and invested to beat the March 31st deadline without proper study. Even after two years of non-stop bull run..., the fund is just now breaking even, whereas my MF investments have returned me almost 100% returns in this period.Read More

Commented on assetmanager's review

Icici prulife
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance

Good Review!! I wish I had read this stuff before going in for Birla Sun Life ULIP (2 years back) :-). I hope somebody comes up with a consolidated charges or ULIPs across different companies. If there is any website which provides this, kindly let me know.

Commented on aw90006's review

Feels like I am duped...
Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance

In fact, none of the agents talk about ULIP charges, high as they are. I also got duped by Birla Sun Life's Flexi SecureLife Retirement Plan (Front loading - 20%). This was not told by the agent at all. Even in their website, the charges come up after so much page navigations !!!

Commented on joel_chandra's review

You are charged to deposit money in CITI Bank
Citibank

Citi always tries to go in for the younger people who are into their first jobs as their victims. Many young people in IT/BPO companies are asked to open their salary accounts on their first day and before they realise what they are signing into, they are pulled into Citibank's vicious, blood-suckin...g trap. Caution your friends/cousins/relatives, NOT to open a Citibank account ever.Read More

Commented on assetmanager's review

Judge by efficiency, not age
Choosing an Insurance Provider

Your comment that HDFC was the first to introduce term insurance was an eye-opener. LIFE INSURANCE corporation did not have such a BASIC product, the real Insurance?? Thanks, assetmanager for this info.

Commented on vshaleen's review

A Prime mover
The Hindu

Was amused to read your comments that The Hindu is NOT biased. Bias is like accent. You don't detect it in yourself or in persons like you. If your views are somewhat similar to whatever bull The Hindu writes then you won't find it biased.... or vice-versa. If you ask George Bush if he finds Fox New...s biased, guess what the answer would be?Read More

Commented on victor0012's review

Times of India - Marketing success of trash
The Times Of India

This is yet another instance of the wishy-washy stuff that TOI prints. It doesn't have the GUTS to have its own opinion also.

Commented on Justin_Blake's review

My favorite columnists
Favorite Columnists

V.Gangadhar in 'The Hindu' was a class act. Jug Suraiya's columns are good, though his Dubyaman is boring and shows Jug's 'secular' bias. Shoba De is very trivial and hardly enjoyable. I like 'Swaminomics' (TOI - Sunday) and 'Media Pulse' (The Hindu - Sunday). Thomas Friedman of NY ...Times is a class apart.Read More

Reviewed The Hindu

The Hindu - rename it to ''Pravda''

I have been a regular reader of The Hindu for over a decade now. And during this time, it has gone from bad to worse. The only reason why I still read it is force of habit. (Bad habits take a lot of time to disappear:)!! ). The communist anti-Hindu bias is very obvious now. N.Ram has even adm...Read more

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Commented on ee00224's review

How to choose a mutual fund?
General Tips on Investments

Your tips are Almost correct except for the NAV part in the end. A higher NAV doesn't mean it should not be bought. A higher NAV along with a high Asset size means a very good fund (for e.g Franklin Bluechip). If we go by your principle of buying funds with lower NAV's we should go for MF IPO's... which is the most dangerous thing to do (as the funds do not a have a performance record). The correct principle is to buy when the markets as a whole are down. Wait till Sensex falls to 5000. Buy reputed funds (any fund which has given a good 5 year return for e.g. Franklin Bluechip, HDFC Capital Builder, Franklin Prima, HDFC Top 200 etc). Wait for Sensex to reach 6000 and sell it. No need to check NAV's. Your calculation of dividends is also misleading. Dividends are given out of the gains of the fund. There is no logic to say that funds with lower NAVs give more dividends.Read More

Commented on sckamath's review

Life insurance-the actual fact
Choosing an Insurance Provider

You are right. Please read my review on Tata-AIG's mahalife Gold, which is making a sucker out of many people. Also the Unit-linked Pension plans of the Insurance companies are so expensive. Best is to have long-term SIP in a mutual fund. These have the same risks as the Unit-Linked plans but... have better benefits (because of less expense). Unfortunately I got trapped into one of the ULIPs :-( before I knew of all this fundas.Read More

Commented on Fire-n-Ice's review

HSBC....eeeeekkkssss!!!!
HSBC - Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation

I have generally been happy with HSBC (My wire transfers from Japan to India also worked without a hitch!!). But it was good to read this review especially the part about the employee talking with your husband constantly... Damn poor service by HSBC.

Commented on abhisheks's review

Citibank Vs ICICI
Citibank

ICICI has far more ATMs in Bangalore than Citi. Also more branches than faceless Citi.

Reviewed Tata AIG General Insurance

MahaLife-Gold - USELESS

Very Vigourously marketed, this policy is utter rubbish. I have detailed calculations to show that PPF + term insurance will give you better survival returns or death benefits. How? Your premium would come to approx 35,000 for a 4 Lakh policy. (Ask any Agent). Instead invest 32,500 in PPF ...Read more

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